A Fulton man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for pleading guilty to charges in a juvenile sex abuse case.
Callaway County Prosecutor Chris Wilson said Raymond Ryan, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of second-degree child molestation during a hearing Friday before Callaway County Judge Brouck Jacobs.
Ryan admitted, in June 2017, he was operating a motor vehicle at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour while fleeing from law enforcement officers with four children as passengers. Investigators at the Callaway County Sheriff's Office were looking into allegations that Ryan had sexually abused four children, ages 11, 13, 14 and 15, when they learned that Ryan was in a vehicle in the Fulton area with three of those children, as well as a fourth child.
Deputies located and attempted to stop Ryan's vehicle when he fled and went on a multi-county pursuit that ended in Wildwood, Missouri. Ryan abandoned the vehicle with the children still inside and fled on foot before he was later apprehended.
Ryan admitted to the judge he had fondled the genitals of each of the four child victims on different occasions between January and June 2017.
Under Missouri law, Ryan must serve at least 85 percent of the sentences for the child molestation charges and will not be eligible for parole for more than 20 years. The case was investigated by the Callaway County Sheriff's Office. The Missouri Highway Patrol and Franklin County Sheriff's Department assisted in the vehicle pursuit of Ryan.